Max Boyce is the first act on the millennium centre's programme

Veteran entertainer Max Boyce opens the billing on 2 December, with opera singer Katherine Jenkins as his guest.

Events to follow include Welsh National Opera's spring and summer seasons, the Kirov Ballet, Australian Ballet's Swan Lake.

Tickets for all the shows go on sale on Monday.

The �104m WMC, in Cardiff Bay, is due to open its doors on 26 November.

Opera star Bryn Terfel is already booked to launch the venue with a line-up of guests including Charlotte Church, Matthew Rhys, Sian Phillips, Ruthie Henshall, and Jonathan Pryce.

Summer season

One of the first shows of the new year will be Sleeping Beauty on Ice, from 12 - 22 January, with the Imperial Ice Stars, featuring 22 Olympic, national and European Championship skaters.

The WNO's spring season begins on 19 February. It will be the company's first set of productions since it said farewell to Cardiff's New Theatre, where it had played for 50 years.

The Urdd National Eisteddfod is another of a number of Wales-based arts groups which is making the millennium centre is new home. The Urdd begins on 30 May.

Cameron Mackintosh's new production of Miss Saigon is in June, followed in July by Australian Ballet's version of Tchaikovsky's classic Sleeping Beauty.

'Wide choice'

WMC Chief Executive Judith Isherwood said: "The opening season's programme offers an eclectic mix of productions that will delight our audiences - young and old - with UK and European premieres by internationally acclaimed companies, family shows, world-class opera, dance and ballet performances.

"We've always aimed to attract as wide an audience as possible, including newcomers to the performing arts.

"I believe that this programme offers a very wide choice and that we're delivering what we've promised our audiences and supporters over a number of years - and doing so at very reasonable prices."